Press Photo/T.J. HamiltonForest Hills Northern's Cole Cline, center, launches a shot in between two Flint Powers Catholic defenders to beat the buzzer. Officials ruled that Cline had a foot on the three-point line and the game ended with a 66-65 loss for the Huskies. Watch the video

EAST LANSING -- The shot. Did he or didn't he? And if the officials had done the right thing and ruled Forest Hills Northern senior Cole Cline's buzzer-beating shot a 3-pointer and the game went into overtime, would the Huskies have pulled it out against Flint Powers Catholic in Friday's Class B semifinal?

The controversy continues. But the outcome, Powers earning a 66-65 victory, will never change. The Chargers advanced to tonight's state championship game at noisy Breslin Center at Michigan State. The Huskies drove home to Grand Rapids on a silent yellow school bus.

"It was really quiet," FHN coach Steve Harvey said. "It's weird because we definitely did not win, but it does not feel like we lost, either. I feel worse for the players, especially the seniors. They are a special group of guys."

It was this group that, after going 10-10 during the regular season a year ago, got tough late. They upset previously unbeaten Godwin Heights in the district opener on an amazing snaking layup by then-junior Cline. Then, two nights later, they beat host Wayland in double overtime on a crazy near-halfcourt shot by Cline.

Northern's season ended in a district final loss to South Christian. But they vowed/promised/decided they would be back, that they would learn and grow and get better. They did.

The 12 players from that team returned and did so much.

This season, except for tight losses to Wayland in overtime and City League-champ Grand Rapids Christian, FHN won everything. The Huskies shared the Gold crown with Wayland. They won a district. They won the first regional and quarterfinal in school history.

They played in Friday's semifinal like an experienced Final Four team. They certainly made the area proud.

"We had our chances at the end, it did not have to come down to that last shot," Harvey said. "We could and should have taken care of it earlier. We just did not play our typical game, for whatever reason, we did not take the charges, we did not play the tough defense we have all year."

Still, to have the game come down to an official ruling on a final shot was not right.

With seven seconds left, FHN inbounded the ball under the Chargers' basket, and Cline got off a three-point shot before the buzzer. His shot, a twisting, turning, right-handed, underhanded scoop between two defenders -- which he took while making a big leap -- was taken from behind the three-point line. Film of the game shows that. No question.

But none of the officials saw it. The trailing official even made a shrugging motion, indicating he did not see it. The official under the basket did not have a clear view. And there's no way the third official -- on the side -- was watching Cline's feet.

Yet the three conferred, huddled and talked for several moments. They never asked the fourth official at the table what he thought.

Of course, the rule is, too, that if an official is unsure if it's a 2- or 3-pointer, the shot is ruled a two. That is how it is. But this is not a normal shot, this is not something that can just be flippantly decided. In this situation, there needs to be every opportunity taken to make sure it is the right call.

According to John Johnson, the MHSAA's communications director: "In the course of any game in any sport, there are countless judgment calls made by coaches, players and officials. But the only people expected of that trio to be perfect are the officials, and that's not fair."

He is right. The officials did not want to make the wrong call. They wanted it to be right and fair.

Bryan Huntley, a senior guard, played the tournament of his life. Conor Malloy and Corey Anderson, senior forwards, did all they could. Cline -- one of the most amazing big-shot making players around ever -- did all he could, too.

"To have their seasons end that way, they deserved a better fate than that," Harvey said.